Wrench



A. SHIRK.

WRENCH. APPLICATION man nun/14.1921.

WITNESSES sa fif/zd' ATTORNEY Patented May 23,1922.

nois. have UNITED STATES PATENT flf flfihi AIBNER SHIRK, 0F DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

WRENCH.

Application filed May 14,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Annex SHIRK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illiinvented a new and useful Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wrenches.

The object is to provide a wrench of the plier type, wherein the clamping jaws are caused to approach each other to grip an objeot, such as a nut or a pipe, by the bringing together, through the pressure of the hand of the operator, of a pair of operating levers in the same manner as a pair of ordinary pliers, said gripping jaws being adapted to be initially adjusted a predetermined distance apart to suit the particular nut or pipe to be operated upon.

Another object is to provide means for exerting a powerful leverage through cam subjected, comprises a shank or body memaction by one of the operating levers, transmitted through a locking dog, to positively hold the relatively movable gripping jaw in its gripping relation to the stationary aw in order to prevent slipping of the wrench from its applied position on the work.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification; it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not to be confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrench constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the wrench, as viewed in Figure 1; r

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, the clamping lever being shown in open position, in dotted lines.

The wrench, which is tobe formed of suitable metal and in different sizes to suit the particular use to which the same is to be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1922.

1921. Serial No. 469,589.

her 1, provided at one end with an operating handle 2 suitably rounded on what may be termed its outer side to make it more coinfortable to the hand of the operator and shaped in a well-known manner to it the same.

At its opposite or active end, the shank or body member 1 is provided with a gripping jaw 8 having, on its inner face, which is arranged longitudinally of the shank or bodymember, teeth or serrations l for the purpose of engaging the object to be held or turned.

Intermediate of the handle 2 and the jaw 3, the shank is provided with upstanding, integrally formed ears 5 arranged in spaced relation to each other, with their outer faces lying flush with the opposite edges of the said shank and preferably having their upper edges parallel with the gripping face of the jaw 3 and their front and rear edges oppositely inclined, as indicated at 6 and 7 respectively.

Immediately in rear of the serrated, inner face 4: of the jaw 3, the shank is provided with a slot 8 communicating with the space provided by the spaced ears 5, and in the rear wall of the slot, or that wall farthest removed from the teeth 4, a spring socket 9 is provided, and a second spring socket 10 is formed in the inner face of the lever 2 at a point adjacent to the termination of the rear inclined edges 7 of the ears 5, for a purpose to be explained.

Arranged transversely of the body memher or shank 1 and adapted to traverse the slot 8 as well as the forward portion of the space between the ears 5 and to freely slide through the same, is a shank 11 of a thickness to snugly fit therein and with its front edge normally abutting against the front wall of the slot 8 and its rear edge provided, in its upper portion, with aseries of teeth or serrations 12, which lie in spaced relation to the rear wall of the slot 8 wherein is provided the aforesaid spring socket 9.

The shank 11 carries, at its upper end, a clamping jaw 13 formed integrally therewith and equal in length and width to the first-named jaw 3, with its under face provided with serrations 1a in opposed relation to the serrations or teeth 4.

The spring socket 9 is adapted to recelve one end of a coiled spring 15, which snugly fits the same with sufficient friction as to prevent the accidental removal thereof, while the forward end of said spring frictionally engages a pin 16 carried by a bearing block or shoe 17. The bearing block or shoe 17 is adapted to bear at all times, through the pressure of the coiled spring 15, against the rear edge of the shank 11, either the serrated portion 12 thereof, or the lower smooth portion, depending upon the adjusted position of said shank, and to maintain the latter with its forward edge in contact with the front wall of the slot 8, the shoe 1'? being adapted to slide freely over the serrations A 19 and bears at all when necessary.

Located in rear of the shank 11 and substantially at a central point of the ears 5 and at the base portion thereof, is a transversely disposed pintle 18 traversing suitable, alined apertures formed in the said ears, and mounted to rock upon the same within the space between the ears, is a looking dog 19 having an opening at its lower end to receive the pintle 18 and extending upwardly therefrom to lie substantially flush with the upper edges of the ears 5. The front edge of the locking dog 19 is provided with teeth or serrations 2O toengage the serrations 12 formed in the rear edge of the locking dog shank and having its rear edge curved to form a rearwardly-extending nose 21.

A second pintle 22 extends across the space between the ears 5 and is suitably held in appropriate apertures therein at a point ad jacent to the point of juncture between the rear inclined edges 7 and the upper edges of the same, and upon this pintle 22 is fulcrumed the clamping or operating lever 23 of the wrench, said lever having the same rounding of its outer face and curvature in opposed relation, to correspond to the specified characteristic of the handle 2.

At its forward or active end, the clamping lever is reduced, as indicated at 241, to pass between the ears 5, and is provided with a suitable aperture for the reception of the pintle 22, the forward end of the said reduced portion being extended to provide a short lever having its upper face curved eccentrically to the pivot 22 to provide an actuating-cam 25, which conforms generally to the curved rear edge of the locking dog times against the same,

the nose 21 of the dog being in overhanging relation to said cam. A shoulder 26 formed at the rear end of the cam 25 at a point adjacent to the pintle 22, is adapted to abut against the nose 21 of the locking dog 19, when the clamping lever 23 is in raised position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and to arrest its further swinging movement in that direction, in order to avoid too wide a separation of the levers 2 and 23. 7

At a point in alinement with the spring socket 10 of the handle 2, the clamping lever 2 and 23 apart until the shoulder 26 strikes 1 the nose 21 of the locking dog, as will be clearly understood.

In operation, the jaw 13 is moved toward or away from the jaw 3 in order to adjust the same to fit the particular nut, pipe or other object it is desired to hold or turn. This may be easily accomplished by simply forcing the shank 11 to slide through the slot 8, by pressure of the fingers of the operator in either direction, until the desired position is attained. The shoe 17, under the pressure of the spring 15 readily permits such sliding movement and tends to hold the jaw 13 and shank 11 in adjusted position by forcing the shank against the front wall of the slot 8. At the same time the teeth or serrations 12 of the shank 11 may be disengaged from the teeth 20 of the locking dog 19 by rocking the shank 11. forwardly and away from the same to compress the spring 15, to permit of the up or downadjustment of the jaw 13, the shank 11 partaking of a rocking motion within the slot 8 to accom plish the same. The dog 19 also is free to move rearwardly to facilitate the passage of the teeth 12 along the teeth 20, for at this time the cam 25 is in the lowered dotted-line position of Figure and the lever 23 raised, there being no pressure upon the latter.

lVith the jaws properly adjusted as described and engaging the object to be manipulated, the lever 23 is forced to approach the handle 2 against the pressure of the expanding spring 28, when the forward cam end 25 of the lever is elevated and riding against the curved rear face of the dog 19 forces the same to rock about its pintle 18, the front edge whose teeth engage the teeth of the shank 11 causing the upper end of the latter to rock forwardly fulcruming-against the front wall of the slot 8 and at'the same timethe jaw 13 to approach the stationary jaw 3, and the serrations 4: and 1 1 to impinge against and to hold the object between the same.

hen the grip on the handle 23 is released it is pushed upwardly by the spring 28, the

jaw 13 and dog 19 move back together and are held in adjustment by the spring 15.

The serrations on the jaws 3 and 13 may be teeth of the movable jaw, and a clamping lever pivoted to said body member and adapted to engage with the dog to rock the dog and also the movable jaw and move said jaw towards the stationary jaw.

2. A wrench comprising a shank having at one end a stationary jaw and at the other end a handle and also having a slot in rear oi said jaw, a movable jaw having its shank passed through and rockable within said slot and provided with teeth on its rear edge, a dog pivoted to the first mentioned shank and also having teeth to engage with the teeth of the shank on the movable jaw, means in said slot for supporting the movable jaw in rocking position, and a clamping lever engaging the dog to cause said dog to rock the movable jaw towards the fixed jaw.

8. A wreneh comprising a shank having at one end a stationary jaw and at the other end a handle and at an intermediate point between the handle and said jaw being provided with a slot, a movable jaw having its shank slidably and rockably mounted in said slot and provided with teeth on its rear edge, a dog pivoted to the shank of the stationary jaw and provided with teeth to engage with the teeth of the shank of the movable jaw, said dog having a curved nose extending to the rear, a clamping lever pivoted to the shank of the stationary jaw and provided with a cam to engage with the nose of the dog, and spring-actuated means to engage with the shank oi the movable jaw to permit said jaw to be rocked within the slot by the dog when the clamping lever is operated to cause rocking of the dog.

4. A wrench comprising a shank having at one end a stationary jaw and a handle at the other end, a movable jaw having a shank provided with teeth on its rear edge, and rockable on the stationary jaw, said jaw haing its sl ank guided in its movements on the shank of the stationary jaw, a dog pivoted to the shank of the stationary jaw in rear of the movable jaw and adapted to engage with the teeth of the movable jaw, a clamping lever pivoted to the shank of the'stationary jaw and adapted to engage with the dog to force the same forwardly toward and in engagement with the shank of the movable jaw for rocking said jaw,

and means for maintaining the shanks oi" the jaws removably engaged and likewise per mitting rocking of the movable jaw.

5. h wrench comprising shank having at one end a stationary jaw and at the opposite end a handle, a movaldc jaw having a shank provided with teeth, said shank being guided on the shank of the stationary jaw, a dog mounted on the shank of the stationary jaw in rear of the movable jaw and adapted to engage the shank of the latter, spring-actuated means mounted on the shank of the stationary jaw below said dog and adapted to engage with the shank of the movable jaw to force the same forwardly, and a spring-actuated clamping lever adapted to engage with the dog to rock the same and force it to engage with the movable jaw and in turn force the movable jaw into engagement with the object to be held.

6. A wrench comprising an elongated body member or shank having at one end a stationary jaw, an operating handle at the other end, and spaced, parallel, upstanding ears arranged adjacent to the said jaw, and

said shank also having a transverse slot provided between the ears at the rear end of the jaw, a relatively movable jaw having a perpendicularly disposed shank to traverse the said transverse slot, said shank having serrations in its rear edge, a spring interposed between the said rear edge 01 the shank and the rear wall of the slot to urge the movable jaw and its shank forwardly, a locking dog pivoted to rock between the said ears and in rear of the shank, said dog having serrations to engage those of the shank and a rearwardly directed, curved nose, a clamping lever co-extensive with the operating handle and pivoted between the ears in rear of the dog, said lever having a forwardly extending cam in advance of its pivot to engage the nose oi the dog and rock the same to force the movable jaw forwardly and downwardly to clamp an objec' against the stationary jaw, and a spring interposed between the handle and lever to force the same apart when pressure is released.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature.

ABNER SHIRK. 

